Cubs legend Sammy Sosa welcomed again to Wrigley Area after 20-plus-year hiatus

Legendary Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Area for the primary time in additional than 20 years on Friday earlier than Chicago’s afternoon recreation with the Seattle Mariners.

Sosa, who is ready to be inducted into the Cubs’ group Corridor of Fame this yr, arrived on the iconic North Facet ballpark in a black SUV. He was greeted by proprietor Tom Ricketts, who embraced him in a hug as he exited the automobile.

Sosa grew to become the face of the Cubs franchise the place he performed 13 seasons after coming in a commerce from the crosstown White Sox in March 1992. A seven-time All-Star, Sosa hit 545 homers in 1,811 video games with the Cubs and hit a franchise-record 66 in 1998 when he was named the NL’s MVP.

Sosa, now 56, performed his remaining recreation with the Cubs at Wrigley on Oct. 2, 2004, when he homered and had two hits in an 8-6 loss to Atlanta. Throughout his years with the Cubs, Sosa appeared to bulk up drastically and was a headliner in a era of baseball’s greatest names linked to performance-enhancing medication.

The Cubs traded him to Baltimore with money in February 2005 for 3 gamers.

Sosa appeared to acknowledge utilizing performance-enhancing medication in December when he launched a press release saying he was sorry for errors, with out specifying them.

“There have been occasions I did no matter I may to recuperate from accidents in an effort to maintain my energy as much as carry out over 162 video games,” he mentioned within the assertion. “I by no means broke any legal guidelines. However in hindsight, I made errors and I apologize.”

On Friday morning, Sosa posed for pictures with rising Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong exterior the group’s clubhouse and a video confirmed Sosa embracing supervisor Craig Counsell in his workplace earlier than the sport.

“(Sosa) noticed the wind blowing out immediately and deliberate this journey round a very good day to be right here,” Counsell joked. “He requested to be within the lineup as a result of the wind’s blowing out.”

The Cubs honored Sosa with a video board tribute after the second inning. Sosa waved and bowed to followers from a collection through the presentation.

In Thursday’s 8-7 loss to Milwaukee, Crow-Armstrong went deep to set a brand new group document for reaching 20 homers and 20-plus stolen stolen bases the quickest, doing it in 73 video games. Sosa had the outdated mark of 96, set in 1994.

Counsell, who confronted Sosa as a participant, saluted the previous slugger for his energy on the plate and lengthy homers, in addition to star energy.

“Most likely one of the best factor, Sammy was a real entertainer,” Counsell mentioned. “I believe once you’re on this lengthy sufficient, you understand that is a part of this.

“We’re additionally right here to entertain and I believe Sammy was nice at that.”

Reporting by The Related Press.

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